All You're Ever Gonna Be Is Mean
by Kiatana
Summary: Finn wants to be the hero. When his on stage kiss with Rachel at Nationals blows up in his face he panics and tells a lie. That Rachel planned it. The Glee club turns their misdirected anger on the little diva. She turns to the one person who understands her. Jesse St. James. Will she end up at Carmel? What will Noah do about it? St. Berry/Puckleberry
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic. I've been thinking about this idea for a while so let's all cross our fingers. I have no ownership of anything glee related besides my idea for this story and any characters I might come up with. This chapter isn't going to be too long. Just testing the waters before moving on.

Rachel Berry was as shocked as anyone else when Finn kissed her right on stage. Sure their song had been emotionally powerful. But she had fully expected Finn to just hold that loving gaze until the lights dimmed and everyone did their little scramble to get into position for the next song. Rachel may have been shocked but she was still a professional and so the show had gone on! When Jesse had said that the kiss had ruined their chances of winning Rachel inwardly agreed. Judges wanted an almost kiss not the real thing.

And in the end Jesse had been right. In was a crushing defeat at the hands of their rivals. Rachel didn't understand why Finn couldn't have thought things through. She had told him she wanted to wait until after nationals to figure out where they were. But he hadn't listened. Maybe he had honestly thought that kiss would win the judges over. A part of Rachel would prefer that over Finn ignoring her wishes. They had come so far!

But then Finn threw it all away. "Rachel said that a kiss would really blow the judges away." Rachel's head snapped up at this. Now she had expected there to be a lot of hurt feelings and some anger. Santana did not disappoint and had been screaming in Spanish for what seemed like the moment they got into the hotel room. While she applauded the Latino girl for waiting until they were in private she was being so loud there had almost been no point.

She had expected anger to be directed at her and Finn. But she had also expected Finn to own up to what he had done and she would stand beside him. Together they would face their accusers. But here she was standing alone with all eyes on her. And then the accusations came flying.

"Figures Berry would ruin our chances to have her perfect moment in the spot light!" Quinn glared

"If I was a judge I'd have voted for anyone else if I had to watch Rachel kiss some one!" This was the first English sentence Santana had managed

"Rachel if you weren't such a diva we'd have won!" It seems once again Mercedes had forgone their diva connection.

"First you handed Vocal Adrenalin Sunshine and now this!" Tina sighed while shaking her head.

Rachel could not hold back any longer. "You guys this wasn't my fault. I never told Finn we should kiss on the stage. It was incredibly tasteless."

"Oh so now you're trying to tell us Finn the guy you've been trying to get forever is a liar?!" Quinn demanded. Maybe this was her chance to get Finn back where he belonged. With her.

They would have continued but Mr. Shue cut them off. "You guys I know we're all disappointed but let's just go to our rooms. We've got a plane to catch." Disappointment was a far cry from what he was feeling. Especially the way he had boasted to Dustin before the competition. He didn't know who was lying. But it was just easier to believe Finn unconsciously so it was the way he leaned.

Their teacher's words were not the defense Rachel had been hoping for at all! Tears in her eyes Rachel turned and ran to the room she had been sharing with the other girls. She didn't know when the others would come back but was pretty sure there was going to be a Rachel bashing party that night. She thought things were different now. That they were a family. But at the first chance they had turned on her. Blinking back the tears she pulled out her phone and started a text message.

In another and much nicer hotel than the one New Directions were staying in Jesse St. James sat in his hotel room. When his phone beeped he picked it up and read the text. It was from Rachel! After reading it his smile grew. This was perfect. While it pained him that Rachel was upset he saw his opportunity to get back into her life. He didn't understand Rachel's insistence in staying with those losers. They did not deserve her talent. And by taking the proper steps they would lose her. Now was the perfect time to convince her to leave McKinely and spend her senior year at Carmel being treated like the goddess of song that she was. Of course he'd have to get rid of Goolsby. But that would be easy.

So what is Jesse's plan to get Rachel back in his life and on the Carmel stage? And what about Noah? He didn't say anything bad about Rachel. Is he going to defend her back at school? So this is my first fan fic. Please be kind if you review. I'd appreciate constructive criticism. So if you hate this more than anything else in your life it would be considerate to offer a way to fix what you don't like. This story is for you readers. Unsure if I want Kurt and Rachel to be friends.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so flattered by all the reviews my story got! A little more about me, I am a Rachel/Jesse and a Rachel/Noah fan. I love both those pairings. I hate Rachel and Finn. I haven't decided if this story will end up as Puckleberry or St. Berry. And Jesse isn't going to be a dickwad. Yes he's going to be calculating though. I might bring some characters from the current season in early. Mainly Brody and Marley. I was thinking about Brody being the current male lead of VA. That or I was thinking of it being Blaine and having Kurt never gone to Dalton. What do you guys think?

Puck did not like this shit that was going on. It had started when Finn asked him, Artie, Sam, and Matt to help him on his date with Rachel. He knew that no good was going to come of it. But he couldn't resist singing in front of Berry. Then there was that kiss. And that stupid look on Finn's face after that kiss. He could tell that Frankenteen had not thought that through. And no way had Berry planned it! Wait had she? Puck was feeling a little unsure. She sure had stars in her eyes during that date. Well then why had she called it tasteless? Another thing he hated was that St. Jerkface had been right about the kiss ruining their chances of winning.

His stomach dropped when Rachel ran from the room in tears. But he also knew that there was no getting out of the room that night. He shared a look with Hummel. He knew that Kurt might have gotten a little caught up in the moment before. But now he was thinking. Maybe he had come to Finn's side because of their step brotherly bond or some stupid crap like that. Now he was thinking about things too.

Kurt nodded absent mindedly at whatever Mercedes was complaining about. Kurt had started out resenting Rachel Berry. She had seemed selfish and bossy. A diva in every sense of the word. But now he understood the depths of her passion. He knew why Mercedes would never be on the same level as her. She would rather be liked than truly successful. Sure maybe she tried to throw her weight around (not a fat joke) and say phrases like 'hell to the no' and 'white boy'. But those were just ways to get people to take notice of her. But she wasn't dedicated like Rachel. Rachel wore what she wanted despite people making fun of her. She spoke her mind and corrected others. And Kurt wished he could be more like her. Then maybe instead of sitting and listening to Mercedes he could be with Rachel comforting her.

He glanced over at his step brother. He was sitting with Quinn and Santana. He didn't know what the whole story was with this kiss. He knew that Rachel still cared about Finn. And that Finn wanted to be with her. But then why blame the kiss on her. By this point Kurt knew his step brother very well. Finn loved being the hero. He liked being viewed as the good guy. And just maybe he thought that kiss was going to win them everything. And when it didn't he protected himself. By sacrificing Rachel. Kurt remembered that afternoon when they were waiting to see if the football boys would pick glee or football. Even Noah had come in before Finn. But no one held that against Finn. They treated him like he saved the day instead. Kurt found it a little strange to really think about this now years later.

Rachel sat on her bed. She didn't know why she had texted Jesse. She knew she should hate him. But one thing kept her from doing that. It was something that happened months ago. After the Sunshine incident.

_She had been sitting on her bed in tears. She just didn't understand why everyone was so mad at her! What she had done was for the good of the club. And then she heard her phone go off. Her spirits lifted. Surely it was Finn to tell her he had been out of line before. Her eyes widened at the familiar number. It was no longer saved in his phone but she would remember it forever. Jesse St. James. She should just delete it. But instead she read it. The text was only two words. It didn't need to be longer._

_I understand._

Rachel didn't know how she knew but she knew that he had been talking about Sunshine. Of all the boys she had sung with Jesse was her equal in every way. Noah was close and would be if he wasn't afraid for people to see how much he loved music. And Finn could be so much better if he would put in the effort. But Finn liked things easy. And with Mr. Shuester things were easy. Due to a lack of competition male lead solos were handed to him by their Spanish teacher who was clearly living out his glory days through Finn. It would be a lie to tell herself she didn't know why she texted Jesse, why she reached out to him when he had clearly disapproved of the kiss. No one in that other room was on her side. But where ever Jesse was he would be. When her phone alerted her that she had a text message she knew who it was from. Reaching for her phone she flipped it open.

So there's chapter number two. Now you know what Kurt and Noah are feeling. They want to help but aren't ready to make that move at this moment. But what did that text from Jesse say?! Is it going to be nothing more than 'I told you so' or the comfort and advice Rachel is seeking? Chapter three will have more of Jesse's thoughts as well as text conversations between him and Rachel. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows.


	3. Chapter 3

((I just want to let you know I appreciated the follows. But reviews are very important. I'm not saying that because I want to feed my ego but it just helps me get ideas for what to do next and organize my thoughts. I put a new warning up in chapter one that this story could end as Puckleberry or St. Berry. If anyone knows how to get this story in both categories please let me know how to do that if it's even possible. It might fall against the rule of not posting multiple stories that are the same. I guess the category was decided by the order of the character names I added. Rachel, Puck, and Jesse, so maybe if Jesse had been put in before puck it would go in the St. Berry category. Okay onto the story! Bold is going to be text messages.))

**If you worked with your own kind this would have never happened. -JsJ**

**It'll be okay. Don't worry. -JsJ**

Rachel read the message over and over and the one that followed it a moment later. She had expected him to say something like this. But the comforting second message was a nice surprise. She knew what Jesse was saying. If she worked with people with talent like hers first of all they wouldn't have lost in the first place. And if they hadn't won they wouldn't have turned on her like a pack of wolves. But Rachel had hope. Right now everyone was just upset. Surely tomorrow Finn would realize that telling that lie was wrong. They could never be a couple again of course but at least the glee club members would know the truth and they could move on.

**Jesse we're just teenagers. Not everyone can be as mature as you or me. –RB**

Jesse read this text with a snort. It was so like Rachel to defend them. He was sitting on his bed with his laptop on his lap and his phone sitting beside him. Though he traded one for the other when it came time to reply. He was currently putting together a music video medley of Rachel's singing performances. Once he got back to Lima he was going to have a lot to do in a short time. He admitted Rachel was brilliant. When she graduated she was going to be applying for performing arts schools. And if she could turn a group of losers like New Directions into national champions it would look so much better on her application than being part of a continuously winning team like Vocal Adrenalin. But time was ticking away and as far as he was concerned there was no longer time for that. And to have at least one national title on her application with V.A. would be better than nothing.

**Your loyalty is admirable but misplaced Rachel. These people don't deserve you. I know they say an artist must suffer for their work but you don't have to take it so literally. –JsJ**

Rachel smiled. Jesse was a master at back handed compliments. Was her loyalty miss placed? She had known from day one that she was the most talented member of glee club. It had all seemed rather hopeless until Finn came and gave them a decent male lead. Then Noah, or Puck as he preferred to be called not that she would ever do such a thing, came along. And while his rep was on solid enough ground be part of glee club he refused to be the male lead she deserved. Not one to sit and putter she started work on Finn. And while he had improved he still wasn't where he could be.

**Of course they don't deserve me. They're too preoccupied with that ridiculous twaddle about high school being the golden years. But I believe in them. And while I'm getting tired of drama this will blow over sooner or later. And by the time my senior year starts this will all be over.-RB **

Jesse's smile grew at this message. Rachel never hid how she felt when it came to music. She didn't hesitate to admit that New Directions didn't deserve her. She knew she was more talented. He knew how much she hated it when others got solos she deserved. Shuester's idealism was foolish. Not everyone could be a star. If everyone was a star than that meant no one was. Rachel Berry was born to be a star. And in N.D. she wasn't allowed to be one. This wouldn't be a problem in V.A. which was why he had to get her there. He had to save Rachel from a mediocre musical death. Now was a crucial point. He had to encourage Rachel to stay positive but not in a way that would make her feel like he wasn't talking about anything more than that group of musical dead weight. Once he pushed send he continued on his Rachel Berry music profile.

**Rachel you are going to move on to better things. Before you know it what happened with that kiss won't matter at all.- JsJ**

When she read that text Rachel couldn't help but smile. Jesse was right! Surely the others would see that they were wrong and they could move on. She hoped that they could spend the summer together and she could cut down on the summer activities she did to keep busy and distract herself that she didn't have many friends. Once again Jesse understood her. He knew how to think beyond the immediate future. He wanted to be on broadway too.

((What is Jesse working on? Next chapter will have the awaited for Noah/Rachel interaction. They'll be heading back to Lima. Still thinking about who the lead male for VA should be. Brody or Blaine. I know it's a bit AU to have either be it. I'm leaning towards Blaine because it would be fun to do him and Kurt meeting for the first time. I didn't really start to like Kurt until Blaine came into the picture. However Brody seems like he could be cut throat enough for VA.))


	4. Chapter 4

((Okay I'm going to make this chapter a little longer than the others. And I don't know when I'll need to introduce the lead of VA. So until then there will be an open vote for Brody vs. Blaine. Though if Blaine does win I probably won't bring Brody into the story at all. But either way Blaine will be coming into play. So far the score is Brody: 2 Blaine: 3. One vote per person and guests please don't cheat. I want this to be fair for everyone!))

Rachel didn't know how long she had stayed up. She did know that she had gone to bed in an empty room. But when she woke up all the other girls were there, though they seemed to have chosen sleeping space as far from her as possible. Tina was even sleeping on the floor. Rachel felt his chest clench painfully. Mercedes was one thing but Tina was normally so quiet and sweet. Shaking herself she slipped out of her bed to do her morning routine before anyone else got up. She was going to have to count on her show face that was for sure.

By the time the other girls got up Rachel was reading silently. As she expected no one paid any attention to her. In fact it was a like everyone was going out of their way to avoid her. Except for one person. When someone flopped onto the bed beside her Rachel's head shot up in surprise. "Hey Rachel will you write me a cool song?" Brittany asked. "I know it'll never be as good as My Cup. But that's okay. But don't make it better than My Headband. I don't want it to get jealous by me getting a new favorite song."

Rachel wasn't sure how to reply at first. "I…okay Brittany." What else was she supposed to say when Brittany asked her such a silly question with such a serious expression? If it was anyone else Rachel would have thought they were making fun of her. But Brittany wasn't just anyone. Before anything else could be said Santana was towering over them.

"Britt what are you doing?!" Santana demanded hands on her hip. The blonde girl blinked up at her fellow cheerio with a bit of confusion. "I'm asking Rachel to write a song for me." She answered. "Britt we're not talking to Berry!" Santana reminded her best friend with a little hiss of anger before taking hold of Brittany's hand pulling her up without another word.

Rachel watched them move away with a sad expression. She could hear Brittany say something about a dream she had last night. Probably something her cat had told her. Though since it had Brittany talking to her Rachel was willing to believe anything that cat 'said' in or out of a dream. Going back to her book Rachel acted as if it didn't bother her at all that the glee girls were all against her. She had kind of expected to wake up alone in the room because everyone else would crash in the boy's room just to avoid her. She wasn't flattered that they hadn't done that. Rachel knew that if that had happened and word got back to any parents that boys and girls had slept in the same room on the glee field trip that meant Mr. Shue would be in trouble. Sue Sylvester did not need the glee kids helping her find ways to destroy the glee club. They probably felt like Rachel had almost ended things often enough.

Tired of pretending to read while everyone ignored her Rachel got up. She was already packed and ready to go. So she grabbed her wheeled her suitcase down to the lobby to sit and wait. She wasn't about to trust her bag all alone with the glee girls with how they currently felt about her. Rachel wouldn't put it past Quinn or Santana to dump her clothes in a bath tub of water and then put the sopping wet mess back in her suitcase.

Rachel grabbed an apple from the little room where there was complimentary fruit, coffee, and pastries. The fruit selection wasn't that great. There were some teas to pick from Rachel discovered them almost hidden behind the sugar and sweeteners. But Rachel preferred the tea she had at home. First of all it was loose leaf which was SO much better than bagged. Plus she had a cast iron tea pot that she brewed it in which was the best way to brew her special herbal tea blend created to keep her healthy. And of course she wasn't going to go for coffee. That stuff stunted your growth and Rachel felt her height was just right. She was petite not short. Certainly not a midget no matter what Santana or Quinn said! Pastries? Why not just inject fat and calories into her thighs? No thank you the apple would suffice just fine considering all that was available.

Though after sitting back down Rachel ended up just looking down at the apple in her hands rather than eating it. "You know Berry those are for eating." A voice drawled. "And if you're posing for dramatic reasons that are not a very good position.

For the second time that morning Rachel found herself looking up in surprise at a voice of a person who was now sitting beside her. But this time it was not Brittany with Santana in the wings to pull her away. It was Noah Puckerman. Rachel knew he preferred to be called Puck but that was not a name! It wasn't even a good nickname. It made her think of hockey and Noah was a football player. But even if Noah was a hockey player that would be a horrible nickname. But Noah had long ago given up on getting her to call him Puck like everyone else did. And Rachel was rather proud of that.

She blinked at the boy casually sitting beside her. Once…twice…three times. Yup Noah was still there. She looked at him as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of him just now. And to be honest Rachel didn't. He wasn't glaring at her or anything. In fact he looked a little bored. Though Rachel knew he wasn't really. If he didn't want to sit there with her than he wouldn't be. He'd go and do…well something else. But what was he doing there, sitting, and looking so casual? Why wasn't he calling her names or blaming her for what had happened?

Just as she was about to ask what was going on and if this was some kind of trick Noah spoke. "I don't believe that shit Finn was saying about that kiss." He announced with a frown.

Noah watched Rachel's face. She was so expressive. He knew she was wondering what he was doing down here so early or why he wasn't blaming her for everything. When she gasped and said "Noah! Language!" As if she was his mom or something. Now normally if some chick tried to do that to him it would piss him off. But with Berry it was mildly annoying but okay. Unless she did it a lot. Some things you just had to let go damnit! "Yeah that kiss was like a train wreck. I mean seriously who would want to kiss Finn in front of all those people?" This part was added when he saw that crest fallen expression. She was remembering something said to her last night and he didn't want to do that.

"When the kiss was over Finn looked just as surprised as anyone else. But then the lights went dim." Puck explained.

"I just don't know why he would make up a lie like that!" Rachel sighed with a shake of her head. Noah snorted and she politely ignored it. "I know why. Even when we were kids Finn liked being the Boy Scout. He likes being the good guy. The one to save the day. So when that kiss ruined everything he panicked and reacted in the wrong way." He hated that. Yeah he was an asshole. But Noah didn't pretend to be anything he wasn't. He wasn't any girl's knight in shining armor. And girls didn't call him to be saved. Though Noah sometimes thought it must be a nice feeling. Why else would Finn be so dumb as to make up a lie like that? Didn't they have enough problems with St. Jerk Face hanging around them? At least he was gone for the time being. Not for good. Only someone like Finn would think that was the end of seeing Jesse St. James. That asshole had wormed his way back into Rachel's good graces. And if Puck was Jesse he would be doing whatever it took to make sure he stayed there.

Rachel didn't say anything for a long time. Just when Puck was starting to get worried she spoke. It was only three words but they spoke volumes because when it came to Rachel Berry he was leaning how to listen.

"Thank you Noah."

((Been a little busy with work and getting a longer chapter put together. Well we all knew the chapter a day thing wouldn't last forever. I hope this was acceptable puckleberry start off. I'm wondering if I should have both Brody and Blaine be in VA. Been on the glee wiki a lot lately. Is it just me or does Brody kind of look like Goolsby?))


	5. Chapter 5

((Poor Brody, he's really getting out voted in favor of Blaine. Now I don't want to make a habit of giving things away but I need to nip something in the bud so people won't get disappointed hoping for something and then have it not happen. Puck can't go to Carmel. Jesse wouldn't stand for it and he does have sway even though he has graduated.))

Rachel sat with Noah. She read her book and he seemed to be asleep. She couldn't tell if he was pretending or not. She was sure that when it wasn't a school day Noah preferred to be asleep at this hour of the day. But even if he was asleep Rachel wasn't offended. Just him sitting close to her, knowing he was on her side was enough for her.

And no, Puck was not asleep, nor was he just resting his eyes. To be honest he didn't know what to say to Rachel. He had never needed to just talk with a girl when it wasn't going to lead up to at least a make out session. So while he liked being around Berry he didn't know how to talk to her. Yet. For now showing his support seemed to be enough. Berry wasn't questioning his presence but had instead just accepted it. Maybe she was afraid to question him after what happened last time. Last time she had questioned his motives it was about Quinn. And then their farce of a relationship, if one chose to call it that, ended. Back then they were both in love with other people. Or at least they thought they were in love. Noah had woken up long before she had. Before Rachel had always over looked Finn's faults. Why did girls always think they could fix guys? Puck didn't have the answer to that so he kept his eyes shut.

Rachel thought that if she kept at it then she could change him. She had already gotten some desired effects. Finn was the first boy to show her positive romantic attention. Though the way Finchel started hadn't been the most honest. Rachel thought Finn would grow up. If he could see what life had to offer he would put aside the ridiculous idea of the two of them settling down right after high school in a little house with a white picket fence and have two point five children. But more and more she secretly worried that Finn was going to never leave Lima. How often had he made comments about what a great place Lima was to grow up? It was like he didn't understand that she had grown up Lima too but still needed to leave it. She had wanted her first love to be the big love in her life. But now she was seeing that it wasn't going to be. She was over Finn and his immature attitude. If he wanted to waste his life in Lima that was fine with her! But she wasn't going to drown with him.

Her week with Noah seemed like a life time ago. But thinking upon it made Rachel wonder. Noah said he was on her side of this story. But what would happen when they were back at school. What would happen to her? Rachel knew if the other kids knew that not even the glee club kids liked her right now it would be open season for Rachel Berry. Her dry cleaning bill was going to sky rocket again! Though it was worth it so Dad and Daddy didn't know she was bullied. A lot had changed in her home life. Shelby had attentively approached her through email and they had started to talk. Rachel had decided to forgive Shelby. She knew Shelby had been a little freaked out before even though she had planned their meeting. By seeking Shelby out Rachel voided the contract about no contact. Rachel had often thought she wanted something only to find out later on that she wasn't ready. Like when she was seven and thought she was ready for a more advanced dance class. That had not worked out well at all.

So Rachel understood Shelby wanting to get the daughter she gave away as a baby back in the world. But then when it did happen finding out that she wasn't quite prepared to face her fast growing teenage daughter. Rachel also no longer thought of Beth as her replacement. It was natural to want a child of your own. Shelby just wanted a second chance at having a baby. Rachel knew there were several times she wished for a second chance at something and was denied. Some of those experiences helped her create Get It Right.

She was given regular pictures of Beth and had even video chats with both her mother and baby sister. Not that Beth had much idea what was going on. Soon the one year old needed to be put down because she was tired of sitting still. But before that point she was able to focus on the girl on the screen who smiled and waved and made funny faces. But both mother and daughter were nervous about a play date. Part of that was the boy sitting right next to her. Rachel didn't know how Noah would feel about her spending time with the baby he was forced to give up because Quinn didn't want to take care of the baby. She said it was because she wanted what was best for Beth. And Rachel believed that. But a part of her believed that Quinn just wanted her old life back.

Rachel knew the entire glee club thought that Jesse just smiled at her with those bright blue eyes and she had fallen back under his spell. When he had come back it was Shelby she went to for advice. And going to her mother for advice about a boy was always something she had dreamed of doing as a child. It was from Shelby that Rachel learned of Jesse's phone calls. At first he blamed Shelby for the strange hurt he was experiencing. If Shelby had never ordered him to befriend her then Jesse would have never spoken to her. They would have been nothing but the male and female lead of rival glee clubs. But anger turned to grief as Jesse came to understand this new strange pain was heart break. There were a lot of late night phone calls. After all Shelby was both missing Rachel and regretting how things had happened as well. It was Shelby who told her that she thought Jesse had changed. And now Rachel knew it for herself. Oh he was still very much the same and very much a kindred diva spirit. But there was a new softness to his eyes. When she thought of Jesse as a diva Rachel wasn't being insulting. Because Rachel was a true diva as well.

Puck remembered their week together. It had started out with him trying to follow that crazy dream. During that week he had learned that Rachel liked order and everything in its proper place. Yes she was opinionated and bossy. But she wore really short skirts. Now Santana may have made fun of those knee socks but combined with those little skirts they made Berry's short legs look like they went for miles. The only way they could be better was if they were like cheerio skirts and went up every time one of them turned.

But Rachel was special. She believed in him in ways no one had before. Berry told him that he had a lot better odds of gaining a music scholarship than a football one. And he had to admit she was right. Puck loved music. Before glee he only sang his sister to sleep or to himself in his room. Rachel encouraged him. She always had. They had grown up going to temple together. Though they steered clear of one another. Rachel Berry had always been that weird girl with the two dads. And when they got a little older she was still weird but also had the title of loser attached to her. Shit she had even helped him study during that week. Apparently she didn't want to date someone who didn't take class seriously. So he didn't ditch that week either. But then he had caved to social stigma. Being popular and avoiding getting slushied became more important than being with Rachel Berry. He saved himself while he could. And she didn't even get mad. Instead she understood and let him go. This was way worse. Puck wondered how different things would have been if she fought him…..if he had fought for them. Things were going to get bad for Rachel. But this time Puck…no Noah wanted to be there for her. Puck smiled slightly eyes still closed.

Rachel looked up as the other glee kids started to make their way into the lobby. She got a few dirty looks. She noticed some looked a little confused at what Puck was doing there with her. Brittany smiled at her. Quinn and Santana shot her a dirty look. Mercedes glared. Tina averted her eyes. The glee boys just didn't pay her any mind. Finn had the nerve to give her a nervous sheepish look. He was probably hoping she would understand what he had done and would forgive him. Rolling her eyes Rachel looked at Kurt. The small swell of hope was crushed when he smiled at her but allowed Mercedes to pull him to the coffee. She had thought Kurt might be on her side since he clearly wasn't siding automatically with Finn. Sighing she took a bite of her apple. Soon they would all be on a plane.

((I know you wanted more puckleberry interaction. And well you got some inner thoughts from both parties. I also thought it would be important to explain Rachel's current relationship with Shelby and insight to why she allowed Jesse back into her life. Makes Jesse seem a bit more human than in the show. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to bed Thank you for the reviews/follows/favorites))


	6. Chapter 6

((I am happy to receive constructive criticism. If you don't like something tell me what it is and what you think would help me fix the problem. So to my impatient guest why don't you go back to one shot wonders where everything happens one thing after another? I'm going for a multi chapter story with a possibility of a sequel to follow. So things aren't going to happen right away. I'm going to have chapters that involve explanations of connections and the inner thoughts of the characters. And if you're too impatient to appreciate that I respectfully suggest you read another story.))

The little groups kept to themselves while partaking of the breakfast offerings. At one point Sam came over to see if Puck wanted to join the other guys. Rachel glanced up from her book but only for a moment. Noah was still sitting with his eyes closed or at least he had been. Noah opened his eyes and looked at Sam. He glanced over where the boys were sitting. Even over to the group of girls then shook his head. "Nah I'm cool here with Berry."

Rachel watched Sam's reaction. He was clearly surprised. He glanced at her and their eyes met. Rachel liked Sam well enough. She didn't know him. And he didn't know her. Rachel knew he was afraid to get to know her. He took his cue from the others. He didn't want damage his tentative popularity. Being on the football team did not completely protect you. Plus there was that whole brief relationship with Quinn and then Santana. But Rachel knew Sam well enough to know he wouldn't question Noah. Noah was an alpha male. If he said he was going to something or didn't want to do something that was that. The corners of her mouth lifted when Sam turned in defeat and returned to the others. She could see Santana watching with narrowed eyes and wondered if it was her who had put Sam up to the task of getting Noah away from her.

Mr. Schue soon made his own appearance shortly after. Rachel felt that their teacher should have been the first one out there. With how late he was Rachel could have run out for breakfast and he would never have known! Maybe she and Noah could have had an adventure. But Rachel knew that this was not the proper time to say anything. She watched him get the lay of the land. Was he going to say something inspiring to encourage them all to get along? No. He was just going to get some coffee. Frowning Rachel shook her head a little. Really?! This man called himself their music mentor and this was how he handled things! He should have taken charge the night before not sending them all to bed like children.

This wasn't the first time Rachel had felt frustration over Mr. Schuester's lack of professionalism. She didn't want to admit it but this competition probably had been doomed before it started despite the kiss. Figuring out a song just before the competition? Vocal Adrenalin probably started to work on their set list the day after their victory. And what about his bad habit of repetition? Mr. Schue took the saying if it isn't broke don't fix it much too seriously. Though she was a bit flattered that he had decided on song writing because it had worked for them before. And once again it just proved that if the club would listen to her ideas instead of shutting her down they would win more often. It was getting a little tiring to save the day and have no one appreciate it. She had been working on Don't Rain on My Parade since she was a child yet all the others acted she just pulled that song out of her rear end!

She had caught the audience by surprise when she entered from the back. She had not lolly gagged about on the aisle. Unlike Sam and Quinn at sectionals and it had gotten them a tie. A tie! Santana had been given a solo instead of herself. Sometimes Rachel felt that Jesse was right and that all this fairness and everyone is a star nonsense was complete hokum! If everyone was a star than that meant no one was. Will Shuester was not preparing them properly to follow their passion. A casting director certainly wasn't going to care if he disappointed some one by giving the role to the right person for the job.

Everyone thought she was just bossy and opinionated. Well she was. But Rachel knew she had the right to be. She had been performing since she was a baby and had been in more classes by now that most people took in their life. Of course she specialized in certain areas but she made sure to try new things. Though she wished she was as good as Matt and Brittany. Ballet was one of her specialties. Besides if it hadn't been for her nearly half the club would still be half performing and her voice would be nothing by now! She wasn't a miracle worker and could not carry an entire team by herself. Sometimes glee was very exhausting. Not that she let anyone see. This was something she needed to do to take her next step closer to her Broadway dream.

Kurt had tried to sneak out of the boys' room. Puck had already gone but no one seemed to care. Unlike the others he had kept all his stuff neat so when it was time to go he wouldn't be scrambling about. But just when he was about to leave Finn asked him for some help. And even though he knew this whole debacle was his fault Kurt couldn't say no without it leading to a lengthy discussion and maybe a fight. Kurt did not like confrontation. He got enough of it from those muscle headed jerks in letterman jackets. He kept in mind that high school was just four years of your life. For some sad creatures they were all you had. They said high school was the golden years. Kurt pitied those people. He couldn't wait for high school to be over so he could get on with his life. There would still be plenty of people who would hate him for being gay. But there would also be more people who understood him. And while he had been hoping to find a boyfriend before graduating high school Kurt knew it wouldn't be the end of the world if he didn't.

After helping Finn out he grabbed his bag and left the room. He didn't know if this was true or not. But it felt like Mercedes had been waiting for him. Because all of the sudden she was by his side, saying something about how Rachel had been sitting and reading while everyone was getting ready. "Little miss perfect, I bet she was laughing at us all as we hurried to get ready." Mercedes said loudly. "She just sat there reading her book until finally she left." Kurt tuned in and out. When they got to the lobby he found himself looking around for Rachel. When he found her he was surprised to see Puck sitting next to her. Was he asleep? And then those big brown eyes met his own. Kurt felt like Rachel was looking into his soul. Feeling guilty he quickly looked away.

When it came time to catch cabs to the airport there was a small problem when no one but Puck wanted to share a cab with Rachel. Mr. Shue put an end to the arguments when he ordered Matt and Sam, who happened to be closest to him, to just get in the waiting cab. Rachel was great full for Noah's silent support. He even ignored Santana when she called out that if he got into her cab he could sit between her and Brittany. Rachel figured from her tone she was implying that he would be able to 'get some'. But Noah declined! The cab ride was uneventful. Everyone was still ignoring her. And even though Noah. She wondered where Jesse was and if he too was getting on a plane. Of course he wouldn't be flying coach. As a Vocal Adrenalin member he was used to flying first class. No doubt another perk happily paid for by the school for their national champions.

What Rachel didn't know was that Jesse had flown back already. At first he had been planning on a late morning early afternoon flight so he could sleep in a little. But with his new mission started he had changed his flight around. While New Directions were still in the air he was knocking on the door of the current Vocal Adrenalin coach. Goolsby opened the door and raised a perfectly manicured brow at the sight of the most recent Vocal Adrenalin lead standing before him. But he stepped aside to let him in anyways. "Jesse to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Jesse walked in and glanced around. He liked that Goolsby wasn't asking pointless questions. Like how he knew where he lived. "What would you do if I told you I knew a way to destroy Will Shuester's glee club in such a way that Shuester will probably never dare to show his face in the show choir circuit again?" Jesse knew that Dustin had loved beating Will. But he still had a grudge against the man.

"I'd say I'm listening." Dustin replied. He could tell that this was what Jesse wanted to hear from the smile on his face. When Jesse looked around he followed him to the living room watching as he pulled a CD out from his bag. His curiosity mixed with confusion. It was a series of that Berry girl singing. "What is this?" Yes she was good. But she was totally devoted to Schuester. He had wanted her last year but settled for Sunshine.

Jesse didn't say anything as he watched the CD. He had collected Rachel's performances, mined her my space page for the best of her video uploads. The CD started off strong with Rachel performing Get It Right. "She wrote that song herself." He muttered softly. He had picked out five songs all that show cased Rachel's amazing talent. Jesse knew that Goolsby wouldn't have seen Rachel perform at sectionals. So he saved the best for last. Don't Rain On My Parade. "They won because of her. Those other schools had been given their set list. And at the last minute Rachel went on and performed. If you let her audition for Vocal Adrenalin she'll get in. And Will's glee club will fall apart."

Goolsby had watched the performances silently. Finally he shook her head. "No way. She'd never leave No Directions and I'd never let her try out." It was too big a risk.

Jesse had been expecting this. "Actually yes you will let her try out. That is if you value your job." He could tell he had the man's attention. "I know what you're thinking. You haven't lost a competition so there's no reason to fire you. But do you really think the principle would have you over the guy who had been winning the school nationals since he was a freshman? Who cannot just coach but know just what to do and say because he's been on the other side? And of course I'll have Shelby's backing. You won't stand a chance."

Goolsby looked away for a moment. They both knew the only reason he had a chance at this job was because Shelby had quit taking care of her adopted daughter. Shelby Corcoran was a legend. "And why would she favor you." He could tell from the look on Jesse's face that this was the question he was waiting for.

"Why? Because Rachel is Shelby's daughter, and even though she gave Rachel up to her two gay dads she never stopped missing or loving her long lost daughter. And if you're wondering what that has to do with me I'm the one she used to make first contact with Rachel. They are now slowly building a new mother daughter relationship. Right now Rachel is getting fed up with Shuester's misguided teachings. Rachel can get you something that no Vocal Adrenalin has ever gotten. A clean sweep. She's going to give you that missing emotion that we Vocal Adrenalin can't manage." He knew Goolsby would know what he was talking about. With her they could pull of a funk number!

Dustin was shocked at this news. He knew Shelby. She was ruthless but loyal. Jesse could be bluffing but he could just as easily be totally serious. He did have one big point. If he could get her to his side it would make beating baby hands all the more sweeter than normal. It might be enough of a defeat so McKinley never raised a glee club again! Shuester might even quit his job out of shame. That would be so perfect! He could even rub his triumph in Sue Sylvester's face.

Jesse left a few minutes later. "Get her to that audition." Five little words but they spoke volume. Jesse knew he could rush. Everything had to happen at just the right moment. But to have Rachel Berry back in his life Jesse would wait a thousand years.

((Wow my longest chapter ever! I hoped you guys enjoyed it. We saw a little more of what Jesse is up to. I think the next chapter will jump to Monday at school for the New Direction crew))


	7. Chapter 7

((I really wish author notes were still allowed. There are some important things I'd like to address so I am warning you guys now that this might be a shorter chapter than the others. But I feel it is important for my readers to know I am taking what they say into account. Don't like something or wish for something to happen? Review! Not only does it let me know what you guys like and don't like but it gives me ideas. It's impossible to make absolutely everyone happy but I'll do my best. My author notes before and after the chapter have parenthesis which show that they are not a part of the story. Kawaiigrlmari this is my very first fanfic. So I have no idea how to go about getting a beta reader unfortunately. I put in symbols so you can tell that there's a change in perspective or character. But when I upload it the symbols don't show up. I don't know why. But I think I figured out a way to fix the problem.))

_**Jesse**_

Jesse received a text message when Rachel arrived home. She updated him on what had happen that morning. He was surprised that of all people to be on Rachel's side that ruffian Puck was. Jesse well remembered McKinley's resident badass. He may be on Rachel's side now but Jesse wondered how things would go down once they were all at school. A guy like Noah Puckerman relied on their reputations. Rachel had told him of their one week 'relationship', which Puck had bailed out of like a rat on a sinking ship the moment his popularity was threatened.

But then again there was so little time before summer that maybe Puck would risk a small blow to his status. Everyone would forget about it over the summer. And when school started next year his show of support would be too little too late. Jesse planned to get Rachel to audition for Vocal Adrenaline. Unlike other glee clubs Vocal Adrenalin held their auditions the end of the first week of summer vacation. Then those who survived went with the rest of the VA members to a fabulous welcome party. And after that they would spend the summer practicing. The rehearsals weren't as intense as the ones during the school year. But they were enough to thin the herd so by the time school started only survivors were left. But before school started they all took a weeklong trip to New York to be pampered at spas, shop, and go to Broadway shows to take notes and meet the right people. And if Jesse had his way, and he was very confident he would, Rachel would be there with them.

Rachel was a lot like him. Her only flaw was that she cared about people she shouldn't. Like those New Direction dead weight. She continuously turned the other cheek. But Jesse was sure with a little guidance Rachel would see that she didn't need to be treated this way. He had secured her a spot on the audition list. Another difference between VA and ND was Vocal Adrenalin did not have to resort to accept anyone who tried out. It was a joke that they even auditioned people at all! Jesse made the appropriate replies. For now he would have to lay in wait before making his next move.

_**Rachel**_

Rachel was exhausted by the time she got home. It took a lot out of you to pretend you didn't care all day. She texted Jesse to let him know she was home safely and get a little sympathy for what she was dealing with. And while she got it she also got the expected back handed comments about unprofessional her glee club was. Well at least he wasn't laughing at her. He seemed too honestly she deserved better even if she didn't want to go to Vocal Adrenalin. Though it was no secret he wanted her to join his old team. And it wasn't like she had never thought about going somewhere else. But Rachel Berry did not run away. High School was just four years of your life. So she spent the rest of the weekend watching her favorite musicals, singing in the sound proof basement her daddy had built for her when the neighbors started to complain, and hoping that she would get a text letting her know that Finn had come clean. No such text came. She was more disappointed that she hadn't heard anything from Noah or Kurt. She had thought she and Kurt had been getting somewhere.

_**Puck/Noah**_

Noah honestly didn't know where the weekend had gone. It seemed like when he wasn't cleaning pools his mother needed him to watch his little sister or take her somewhere. She had just started ballet this year. And even though he would never admit it out loud she was pretty damn cute in her little ballet outfit. Though one thing he did know was all those little seven year old boys in her class better are gay. Because if any of they so much as looked at his baby sister in the wrong way he'd choke slam them. He knew what little boys thought like. Thank god his little sister was still young enough to think boys were gross. If he was lucky he'd get at least five more years of that.

There were plenty of times that he thought about texting Rachel. But what was he supposed to say? He was sure that Finn hadn't come clean yet. He declined Finn's invitation to come over and play Halo. Noah was sure that Finn was trying to act like everything was okay. Sometimes life felt like a movie. Where Finn was the hero and he was…well not. Noah didn't think of himself as a villain. He wasn't evil, he just wasn't the hero type. So why did Finn always seem to win? He had Quinn. Then he got Rachel. He was the lead in glee….okay that last part might be his own fault since he didn't really try in glee. Noah loved music. Especially playing music on his guitar.

On Monday Noah did something that he couldn't ever remember doing. He woke up early for school. He knew things were going to get bad for Berry and he wanted to be there for her. Hopefully she wasn't mad at not hearing from him over the weekend.

_**Rachel**_

After waking and performing her usual morning routine Rachel showered, dressed and headed to school. She wasn't really proud but last night she had visited the facebook pages of the other glee members. It seemed like they had all had fun over the weekend despite their loss. There were few comments about her though they did not mention her by name. Kurt and Mercedes went shopping. Quinn and Santana were on Brittany's online program fondue for two. The boys minus Noah played video games. Noah had made no updates.

Taking a deep breath she got out of her car. Head held high she marched towards the front doors with his wheeled back pack being pulled behind her. She wasn't going to have her spine get ruined by lugging around a backpack! When she turned a corner a sight stopped her in her tracks. Leaning against the locker next to her own was none other than Noah Puckerman. She hadn't even realized he knew where her locker was.

"S'up Berry." He drawled out when he noticed her. Rachel realized she had been standing there for a while and continued forward. "Noah that is not a proper greeting at all." She scolded. "But good morning anyways. This is…quite the surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company so early in the school day. I normally don't see you until after your morning nap in the nurse's office at lunch."

((So what is Noah doing at school so early in the morning? The chapter turned out longer than I was expecting it to be.))


	8. Chapter 8

((As always thank you for your reviews and follows. Trying to keep things moving along. There are some great ideas I have in my mind but my problem is how to get from point A to point B without rushing because the points are two pretty big points in time. I've already written a future chapter out on hopes of getting it off my mind. So at some point you guys are going to get two chapters in a row lol))

_**Noah**_

He could tell that Rachel wanted to know what he was doing at school so early and probably by her locker too. Maybe that part a little more than the other. He hadn't known Rachel had known about his naps in the nurse's office. Not that it was a secret. He just hadn't known she would bother to remember something like that if she had ever learned about it. Wait no he was getting off topic! Berry was the one who was confused not him.

"Berry I do what I want when I want. " Puck congratulated himself on how bad ass he just sounded. Shit was going to go down soon and Puck knew which side of that sand he was going to stand on. But that did not mean he was any less of a bad ass. He was king of this school and no one better forget it. He had forgotten it once and it cost him the possibility of having his first friendship with a girl since he had hit puberty. He had lost focus of things after that first and last slushy. What he should have done after recovering was bash some heads. But instead he had let Rachel talk him out of their fake relationship. It hadn't started out honestly but Puck liked to think with time it would have been real. He had still been mooning after Quinn, dreaming of a family he'd never have. He was angry that yet another girl wanted Finn. So many emotions swirling around in him that when Rachel gave him an out he had taken it.

"I said I'd support you and I meant it B." he shrugged. "I didn't always stand by you before. But us hot Jews gotta stick together. You're my hot Jewish American princess." He gave a sexy grin and felt satisfaction when Rachel's cheeks flushed.

_**Rachel**_

Rachel would be lying if when Noah had first shown his support it would be fair weather. Jesse had predicted as much. Another sign that they thought alike. But here Noah was standing by her locker before school started declaring his support in her favor. She felt her face heat at his words. His hot what?! Rachel felt heat creep into her face. Since when was Noah so…dedicated to their faith? Yeah sure he had started to peruse her because of that silly dream. But back then he had believed himself to be in love with Quinn just as she had been deluded about Finn. Now all that was over, whatever she had with Finn was most definitely over even if he did come clean.

What Noah had said about Finn made sense. He did seem to enjoy doing the right thing more than others. And that kiss had turned out to not be the right thing. Rachel was coming to face the facts. Finn was stupid. His golden voice and meaning well were his saving graces. As far as Rachel was concerned those graces had run out.

"Well I certainly appreciate your vote of kindness." Rachel smiled as she opened her locker. "Though you realize that you cannot get into any serious trouble right? You don't want to end up back in juvenile hall." She could tell from the look on his face that Noah hadn't thought of that.

_**Noah**_

Well fuck. He had forgotten about that. Okay he would never really forget his time in juvie. But he had put it behind him. He had never told anyone but he had written to Rachel. His mother wouldn't let him talk to his little sister when he called home and the only thing she wanted to talk about was how disappointed she was in him. He didn't know why he had written to Rachel but on a whim he did. And to his amazement a couple of days later he had a reply. She was the only one who knew how it really had been in there. And when he had gotten out she had never said anything about the stories he told of how he had taken charge in the joint. He still had all her letters; they were hidden under his socks in his dresser. Rachel never mentioned the letters and he didn't either. Puck didn't know why he hadn't thanked her for reaching out to him. He just hadn't known how. Until now. He was going to protect Berry come hell or high water. "It'll be fine Berry. I won't do anything crazy. Sides I won't need to." Once people saw that Rachel was under his protection they would back off.

_**Rachel**_

Rachel was flattered by Noah's support. Jesse had predicted that back at school Noah would ignore her again. She was so pleased that she pulled out her phone to text him.

**Looks like your prediction about Noah was wrong, not only did he offer me his support again but he came to school early to do so. This must be a sign that things are going to turn around!-RB**

She wasn't sure what Jesse was going to do with his life. Apparently his parents were happy to have him home and let him recover from his California ordeal. Maybe they were hoping he would go somewhere closer. Well whatever he was doing with his life he was up bright and early because his reply came soon.

**How gallant of him to do the right thing just before the end of the year. JsJ**

Rachel sighed and shook her head with a small smile. She should have expected him to say something like that. Jesse never just accepted things if he didn't like them. From the first day they met they had challenged one another. Not the first time they sang together. She had been too much in awe of the great Jesse St. James. But then she had asked him to help her with her hello assignment and they had sung a duet. Right away Jesse had pushed her aside to sing in the 'spotlight' but she hadn't let him have it all to himself. She took it right back and they went back and forth while singing Hello 12 from Chorus Line. He had told her that she had tried to pull focus.

Rachel remembered feeling the usual worry and started to explain herself. And then Jesse had done something no one had ever done. He praised her for it. And then in the most wistful tone she had ever heard someone use he said that it was too bad she wasn't in Vocal Adrenalin. She wondered now if that had been real or not. She remembered how quickly he had moved onto a different topic. Rachel believed that she had Jesse had the same entertainer soul. He had been excited at the idea of finding someone like him. She had felt that the first time she heard Finn sing, but of course he soon proved that he wasn't like her at all.

**Does the sun let in too much light in your glass house? Hope there are no stones around.-RB**

Rachel couldn't help but smirk a little after hitting send. She had forgiven Jesse yes, but that didn't mean he was allowed to be so smug and self righteous! And then without warning an icy wave splashed into her face. Gasping from the shock of the cold Rachel could only see green. Literally, it had been a lime slushy that had been thrown into her face. Rachel wiped at her eyes, it helped her to see a bit better but the stinging wasn't going to stop until she had washed her face. "Welcome back to school loser! Guess what. Now the world knows you're a loser. Your embarrassing loss is up on YouTube" She heard a female voice hiss this at her and saw a flounce of red skirts. Cheerios. It looked like word had gotten out about the loss. Rachel was surprised it was on the internet though.

Noah reacted quickly. She heard him muttering a swear word as he lead her towards the nearest girls room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mercedes and Tina watching. Tina actually took a step forward but Mercedes placed a hand on the Asian girl's arm and the two turned away. Once upon a time not too long ago it would be the two of them rushing to get her somewhere to clean up. Hot tears contrasted with the icy feeling in her face.

_**Noah**_

What the hell had just happened?! One minute Rachel had been looking at her phone and smirking. Who the hell had she been talking to?! Before he got the chance to demand her attention get back to where it belonged, on him, a splash of green went sailing past him and hit Rachel in the face. Before he could react the trio of cheerios moved on. He was at a bit at a loss. If it had been some dumb jock he would have slammed him into a locker. But he couldn't put his hand on a female like that. Even if that female was a stupid bitch.

So instead he focused on getting Rachel to the nearest bathroom to help clean her off. "Get out!" he ordered at the few girls who were standing at the sinks. He didn't care about them, all that mattered was that they listened to him and scattered. When the door opened he was about to shout at who ever had just come in but Puck was actually relieved to see Kurt rushing forward.

_**Kurt**_

Kurt had seen the entire scene go down. He had been distracted by the sight of Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman standing together before school. What was going on? Now that Finchel was clearly over was it time for Puckleberry to reign over the school? If he had seen the cheerios coming he would have called out some warning. It hadn't been anyone of consequence like Quinn or Santana. Probably just some flunkies sent out by them.

From his vantage point he had seen Mercedes and Tina turn away from the pitiful sight. Before Mercedes could think to call him over Kurt found himself rushing forward to follow Puck and Rachel. "Step back you're out of your element. Why not go guard the door?" He ordered as he took charge. He was relieved when Puck did what he said.

((Finally Kurt has started to come to his senses. Next chapter will probably skip to glee practice. I found this cute deleted scene of Rachel and Jesse singing. Go to youtube and look up Hello 12 Glee. I can't post the link in the story. ))


	9. Chapter 9

((Since this is the Puck/Rachel section I feel like I need to defend Jesse a bit. Yes he's selfish and ambitious. But Rachel is too. Rachel is drawn to him because she's never met anyone so like herself before. And once again I point out that this story could have easily ended up in the Rachel/Jesse section if I had entered the character names in a different order.))

_**Jesse**_

Noah Puckerman was playing the gallant knight for Rachel. How long could it possibly last? Jesse hoped not long enough to have a lasting effect. He had plans for Rachel Berry and none of them involved Puck stepping up and doing what he should have done long ago. Jesse supposed it was a little unfair of him. After all Rachel had given him a second chance so why not Noah? She would probably forgive him too. He wanted to argue with Rachel but her latest text had put him in his place. He would have to do something that he did not often do. Apologize. Perhaps Rachel would appreciate this bit of admitted humility.

**You're right I spoke out of turn. Forgive me? -JsJ**

He didn't believe that, but Rachel was the one who needed to think he was sorry for what he had said. When he got no immediate reply Jesse was a little worried. Maybe she had gotten to her next class? Jesse couldn't explain why…but he felt like something was wrong. It was his deep connection with Rachel. They were kindred souls.

**Rachel are you okay? –Jsj**

_**Rachel**_

Rachel could not believe the day she had gone through! After the slushy facial that morning things had gone downhill from there. She had been tripped more times than she cared to admit. Even when Noah was there. It was always by a cheerio. She could tell that the attacks coming from girls threw him off. He didn't know how to defend her from another girl. That it would be easier if a guy was giving her trouble. Who ever had put a hit out on her knew what they were doing. And with none of the glee girls on her side there was no one to do more than call which ever Cheerio made the move a bitch or a stupid slut. Which only lead to her having to scold Noah both on using crass language and the proper way to talk to a lady. When he claimed that no one on cheerios was a lady. This made her just roll her eyes.

But not everything had happened because of a cheerio. And while it was nice to see him in their classes for a change Noah could not chaperon her at all times. It was when he was gone that boys would make their move. Nothing drastic. Little shoves as they passes or a nasty insult hissed at her. Rachel realized that she should have expected the umbrella of protection that dating Finn had given her to be taken away. Thankfully there were no more slushy attacks. One good thing did come of the start up of the bullying. Kurt found the courage to stand by her side again.

When it came time Rachel hesitated outside the door for the first time. She felt someone take her hand and smiled at Kurt. Just then Noah turned the corner and his smirk was comforting. Together the three of them entered.

_**Kurt**_

To say he was disappointed in the glee club was the understatement of the year. He couldn't believe how selfish Mercedes was being. He knew she was going to take Rachel's fall from grace as her chance to rise to the top. But she would have Santana and Quinn to contend with. Well maybe just Santana. He wasn't sure if Quinn cared about being the lead female of glee. If she could get Finn that would probably be good enough for her. She probably felt that if she could get Finn back it would be a step towards becoming queen bee again. Santana however was head bitch in charge and he knew she wanted some more solos. She was good of course. But she just didn't have the power house lungs Rachel had.

Like Rachel he was one hundred percent against bullying. And he knew enough that responding to it would make things worse. So he decided to be there for Rachel and be there to help her keep her head up high. When he saw her hesitating to go into glee practice he took hold of her hand. A few moment later Puck joined them. Together they entered the room.

Most everyone was already in there except for Mr. Shue. Which wasn't new, though there was a new face standing with Mercedes and Tina. Tina was smiling at a slightly mousy looking girl with brown hair and blue eyes. Kurt couldn't place her. She looked like a freshman. Did she want to join glee? It was a little weird to have someone new wanting to join at the end of the year. Especially after they had just lost a big competition.

When Mr. Shuester came in he seemed just as confused at the sight of the new face. She introduced herself as Marley Rose.

_**Rachel**_

Rachel took her usual seat up front. She wasn't going to skulk to the back like a criminal. As soon as she entered everyone started to whisper. Yup they still all blamed her. Well maybe not all. Rachel figured that some might just be going with the crowd. People like Mike, Sam, and Tina. Brittany probably didn't understand what was happening.

The new girl introduced herself as Marley Rose. She claimed that she had admired the glee club all year but felt as a freshmen it was unwise to join a club. But now that the year was almost over she wanted to get into the glee club. She thought it was so unfair the way they had been treated at nationals and the kiss was so so romantic! Rachel glanced at Finn. Oh dear he had that big goofy smile on his face. Rachel rolled her eyes. She supposed she should feel something like jealousy at the idea of Finn smiling at another girl the way he used to smile at her. But she didn't.

Mr. Shue was of course very welcoming. Like he could afford to be anything else. Rachel listened politely as Marley spoke a little about herself before performing her audition song. She chose Every time by Brittney Spears. Rachel thought she had a nice voice. It could use a little work of course but that could be said of everyone else in the glee club.

As Marley sang Rachel glanced around at the other reactions to the song. Only a few were note worthy. Mercedes looked rather annoyed. Clearly she saw Marley as potential solo competition. Rachel wasn't worried. She knew she was better. But she knew she couldn't point out the obvious. Like that Marley had no stage presence. She was as timid as she sang in front of the glee club. Santana looked bored. Clearly she didn't see Marley in the same way Mercedes did. When Rachel looked at Quinn she was surprised to see the blonde looking over at her with a smug expression. She kept a smile on her face and clapped at the end of the song. The rest of glee was uneventful. Quinn continued to look smug which confused Rachel. It wasn't until they were packing up to go home that Rachel understood.

A small cluster had gathered around Marley to congratulate Marley. "You have such a great voice." Quinn smiled. "You kind of remind me of Rachel's singing…but better. Like…you're a new Rachel!"

Rachel gave a small gasp. Santana wasted no time with agreeing. Were they in on this together? Rachel swallowed when she heard others agree. She didn't know if they were agreeing that Marley's voice was good or if she was a 'new Rachel'. She didn't want to find out grabbing her bag she hurried from the room, not seeing the smirk Quinn and Santana shared.

_**Santana**_

Okay she and Quinn weren't as close as they once had been. But after that new Rachel comment she knew where the blonde was going. The club would be so much better if that midget wasn't in it. And this Marley chick had a good voice. But best of all she was such a timid little mouse that she wouldn't be an attention hog like Rachel. It would be easy to keep Marley in her place under the guise of friendship. She knew Q didn't give a crap about who was the female lead of glee. She wanted Rachel gone to get to Finn. But from the look on Finnessa's face he too was looking at Marley like a new Rachel Berry. Oh well….that was Pregger's problem not hers.

((Sorry this chapter was so late. I've been really busy with work. I'll try and get another chapter up this week. And just to warn you I'm not a big Marley fan. She and Jake are like Puckleberry 2.0 but not as good as Puck and Rachel. I didn't put the lyrics to the song because I didn't think it would be important for this chapter. Do you guys like seeing the lyrics of songs or do you just want me to give song credit at the end of the chapter?))


	10. Chapter 10

_**Jesse**_

Jesse was feeling conflicted. All that week Rachel had been keeping him updated on what was going on at school. While he hated that Rachel was going through this, it was going to help his case later on. So he took Rachel out for coffee or helped her sing out her emotions and work on her summer plans. Like himself Rachel did not think that summer was a time to slack off. They could both find enjoyment in pouring over class schedules for theaters and dance halls. He knew what classes Rachel was currently in but did not try and join them. Instead he waited for her invitation to take some summer classes together. And even though it was his plan for Rachel to join Vocal Adrenalin over the summer so there for she would be much too busy for classes he did not say this. Instead he let her make plans for the two of them. It was a positive sign she wanted him in her classes with her.

It was during these plannings and through texts during the day that Jesse learned that things were going according to plan on McKinley without him having to lift a finger. And should he need to do more than lift a finger to help things along he knew who to contact. Quinn Fabrey. While he disliked that she was making Rachel upset she had her uses. He learned all about this 'new Rachel'. When she had first told him that over an all vegan dinner Rachel was making with him, he laughed out loud. The idea of there being anyone with talent like Rachel's was ludicrous. He told her so and could tell that this was what Rachel wanted to hear. "Rachel this Marley Rose is nothing." He assured her. Rachel's polite nature defended Marley saying that she had a voice that had potential. Jesse decided he was going to have to break her of that habit. As the female lead of V.A. Rachel would need to be brutally honest. But all that would come with a little time.

Jesse had never spoken much to Quinn before. And while at McKinley he had made a rule to avoid Santana. The two of them were trouble makers. Mercedes was not even a concern for him. "Mercedes is just lazy and jealous. She wants to be in the spotlight but isn't willing to work to get there." She didn't have Rachel's drive or passion. She would rather be liked than be honest. She hid behind claiming she was a diva when really all she was good for were long notes. Rachel did that and could dance. He knew Rachel down played her talent and hated it. None of the other glee kids even knew she could play the piano. Many high school students lived under the delusion that high school mattered. People like Rachel who didn't get caught up in trying to be popular because they knew that life beyond those fou years would be so much better were singled out as different. Oh he was sure Rachel would love to be popular. It would explain the fixation on Hudson. But she wasn't willing to give up who she was for it. But in the end she would be queen of the school. At Carmel and as the female lead of V.A.

He was sitting in on Vocal Adrenaline rehersals. Even though they had just won another nationals did not mean it was time to slack off. Instead they had fun. Well as much fun as Vocal Adrenaline could. They took a vote on their favorite numbers of that year and numbers they had seen before becoming V.A. members. Once the voting was over the numbers were performed. They were done better than other show choirs would do but no where near V.A. perfection. Goolsby did not sit in on these rehersals because he didn't waste his time on old numbers. It was the senior members who took charge. Jesse was reigning over them this time. He had to establish himself as the V.A. god he was even though he wasn't a member anymore.

_**Rachel**_

What on earth was going on?! The school year was almost over and Rachel had never been happier about that. School was an absolute nightmare. The bullying had been reinstated since the end of her relationship with Finn. She had forgotten what it was like to not be protected by that status up grade. But Rachel could have handled that just fine.

What was really getting to her was this promotion of Marely! She was not a new her! She wished that Quinn and Santana would stop calling Marley that. Their styles were completely different! Santana liked her because she was so timid and wouldn't get in her way. And Quinn was as transparent as glass. Quinn wanted Finn. Well she could have him! For what ever reason Quinn seemed to think she still liked Finn. So the blonde would go out of her way to flirt with him in front of her. Having Noah and Kurt with her was helpful. But they didn't understand her the way Jesse did. They told her to just ignore what was being said about Marley and herself. Jesse flat out told her that there was no way Marley had as much talent as she did. She even went as far as to secretly record Marley to make sure Jesse wasn't just saying that to make her feel better.

"She does have talent. But she's only a sophmore and has so much further to go!" Rachel ranted. Jesse had taken her out for coffee after her Saturday morning ballet class. "The girl needs to put a bell around her neck so that people will remember she's there!" Now normaly Rachel knew she was not the catty type. But there was just something about Marley that put her on edge. It wasn't like the little waif was trying to stop the comparison. After hearing her sing Marley took it as a compliment.

It was the last glee club meeting but Rachel wasn't sad like last year. Nor was she looking forward to the summer either. Last year she had a budding relationship to tend to. Now all she had to look forward to was finishing up planning her summer activities with Jesse. Neither Kurt nor Noah had bothered to ask what she was doing yet. Looking up she noticed that Quinn had just finished talking to Mr. Shue and was now standing in the middle of the room with a huge smile on her face. Rachel sat up in her seat. A smiling Quinn was never a good thing.

_**Quinn**_

Quinn was very pleased with her plan to replace Rachel with Marley. Already the rest of the club was compairing the two. Now it was time to show that little troll that the glee club didn't want or need her. She let Mr. Shue call everyone to attention.

"You guys summer is coming up. I know that we all have summer plans. But I hope you'll be willing to put them off for my glee club summer surprise!" she smiled sweetly.

((What is Quinn's surprise? I should warn you guys who are feeling bad for Rachel….things will get worse before they get better. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like Marley. I feel like she and Jake are the writer's weak attempt at Puckleberry 2.0 by putting the good girl with the bad boy. I didn't like Jake at first either but I warned up to him. Does anyone else feel like Ryder is Sam 2.0? They're so similar! Please read and review. Hope this makes up for not updating in so long!))


	11. Chapter 11

((I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been busy with work and family lately. In this chapter I decided to address what's been going on with Puck and a little with Kurt. Also you'll find out what Quinn is up to. The chapter after this is going to have a serious plot turn. I don't own anything glee related.))

_**Puck**_

Where the hell had the week gone? Noah wasn't really sure. When he was at home he was keeping an eye on his little sister. His mother had decided that it was no longer to just take her to ballet classes and pick her up. He had to sit there and watch her. Now normally he would be totally down with that because there were tons of cougars watching their little darlings. But he had decided that he was going to go after Berry that was not what was going to go down. Now he did get a few new clients and knew he'd be flashing some skin. But that was just business. He was pretty sure Berry would mind that. It wasn't like it was going to go anywhere.

His mom was working a lot so he covered the house stuff. Cleaned up after him. Made sure Sarah did the same. She was old enough to do chores and it was his job to make sure they got done. He also did dinner. It wasn't anything fancy and a lot of the time it was just something like hamburger helper or putting in whatever their mom made in the oven. If anyone from school knew he took care of his sister and house stuff it would definitely not be good. Taking good care of your baby sister and doing house work was not bad ass.

At school he was busy too. He had tried to talk to Finn to get him to admit to the lie. But surprise, surprise he wasn't going for it. "If everyone finds out I lied then they'll just be mad at me AND Rachel. Thing will get better before they get worse." Finn had shrugged. And Puck had dearly wanted to punch him in the face for that selfish attitude. It made him sick that everyone at school treated him like a god damn golden boy. Instead of punching Finn and getting suspended Puck just told him to leave him the fuck alone and until he came clean their friendship was none existent. He left a confused frankenteen staring after him as he walked away.

Next on the agenda had been discreetly encouraging the football players to leave Berry the fuck alone. Now that he couldn't help but get physical on that one. Hudson may not be protecting Rachel so now it was his turn to be the hero. Even if Rachel never knew it. Now he could throw his weight around and flash his guns all day to deal with those meat heads. What Puck didn't know what to do about was the cheerios. Now he could have gone to Satan, but that would alert her to his interest in Rachel Berry and Santana would personally see that things escalated. His normal methods were useless. Normally he'd flirt and make out to get cheerios to do what he wanted. And then there would be sexting among other things with Santana to distract her from giving orders. But Puck knew how things work in girl world. That shit would get back to Berry. He didn't know how or why but he knew one way or another it would. So he was going to have to leave helping Rachel with the cheerios to Kurt. Because aside from walking Rachel to her classes they had together, she wouldn't let him walk her to every class because then he wouldn't have time to be on time to his own, he didn't know what to do.

_**Kurt**_

What had he ever seen in Finn Hudson? Kurt had lost count of how many times he had asked himself this question. The worst part was Finn honestly didn't seem to understand what the big deal was about his lie. He didn't see a point in the club being mad at both him and Rachel. That even if he did come clean they would never believe Rachel wasn't part of this. "They'd probably think I was saying it just to save her. The club would still think Rachel is lying." Finn had explained.

"You are an idiot!" he had snapped before storming away. He kept his eyes peeled for letterman jackets and red pleated skirts. Together he and Rachel would duck into another hallway or classroom until it was safe. Unlike Puck Kurt could afford to be late to a class now and again.

When they had an early glee audition Kurt was as surprised as anyone. This Marley Rose even had a really good voice. Was she like Rachel? No one was like Rachel. Sure she could do long powerful notes in a similar fashion to the little diva but there was no passion. Not like Rachel had. Rachel always sang those power house notes like it was going to be her last time on stage. She had been performing since she was a baby. Marley still seemed in awe that she was even on stage. She was good. But not Rachel Berry good. Not that Rachel would believe that with the way the club was acting. Santana was tricking her out among the glee clubbers like a first class pimp. And Quinn was the one who started all this new Rachel nonsense. Mercedes had stopped talking to him when he told her that he believed Rachel. But doing what was right was more important than a fair weather friendship.

With Rachel he could talk about things he never could with Mercedes. He now realized that while Rachel was ambitious Mercedes was a little arrogant. After high school she wanted to go to Los Angeles or New York where she assumed that she would get a record deal in no time. Rachel had Broadway dreams yes but she had a plan to get there. They both wanted to go to N.Y.A.D. after high school to continue learning. They knew it was important to keep learning while working towards Broadway dreams. After all doctors and nurses continued to go to classes even after the graduated college, they didn't just stop learning because they got into the profession they wanted. School would be over soon and he knew Rachel was making plans for summer classes and volunteering. But she hadn't approached him to do anything. Did she not want to hang out with him or did she assume he wouldn't want to take classes with her.

It was the last glee meeting of the school year and Kurt was so over it. All this drama was exhausting. Watching Marley be promoted by Santana, watching Quinn be fake, watching Mercedes sulk, watching everyone else not want to rock the boat, watching Puck hover over Rachel, watching Finn go about his normal day, watching Mr. Schue ignore things to avoid confrontation, and finally watching Rachel pretend that none of this mattered. That last part was the worst. When Quinn announced that she had a glee club surprised he blinked and shared a look with Rachel. Both of them felt that this did not bode well.

_**Quinn**_

Everyone was looking at her. Just like they were supposed to. Quinn gave them all her prom queen smile. She had already talked to her daddy and got this all cleared. Now that the whole baby mess was over and she was back at the top of her classes she was his little girl again. The only sore spot was that she hadn't yet gotten her spot on the cheerios back yet. But one problem at a time. First she wanted to get rid of Rachel Berry once and for all. She was sure that attaining this goal would give her the confidence to become a cheerio again.

"My father got a bunch of plane vouchers from a client. And I talked him into letting us have them and to pay for a hotel so the glee club can take a week long summer vacation to L.A." she announced.

"So I was thinking since I'm sure everyone has big summer plans." She couldn't help but send a little look at Rachel before continuing. "That we should go right away, like next Saturday. I know its short notice but I'm hoping that by going so soon it'll still leave everyone plenty of time to spend with their family and friends. Mr. Schue has already approved the trip and is just waiting for a head count before making reservations."

She watched in satisfaction as the group burst into excited chatter. "Does anyone have any objections? Rachel?"

_**Rachel**_

Rachel was once again as surprised as anyone else. This was a very generous gift. Clearly now that there wasn't a baby Quinn was in her father's good graces. She still didn't have a good feeling about this. Maybe she wasn't invited? But then Quinn specifically asked her opinion. Well that meant she was going right?

"I feel this will be a wonderful experience for us to bond. There are a lot of musically historical spots to see in L.A. and Hollywood. Plus I'm sure a trip to the beach would be nice. Assuming everyone wears the proper amount of sun screen." She smiled. It was the first time anyone in the club had directly spoken to her and even though the speaker was Quinn it was nice.

_**Jesse**_

His phone went off and he smiled. Rachel was out of glee by now. It was the last meeting of the year. Now Rachel could start to move on. He knew that neither Puck nor Kurt had asked about summer plans. He knew it! Of course there was the chance that they were waiting for Rachel to broach the subject knowing that she liked to keep busy. Not that he was going to point that out the Rachel. He needed her to need only him. Puck and Kurt were nothing more than interlopers.

**Quinn is planning a glee trip to L.A. next Saturday. - RB**

Jesse re-read the text but he was still unsure of what this meant. Quinn was up to something. That was a given. Quinn Fabrey did not do something unless it would benefit her in some way. She was predictably boring in that sense. He refused to be worried about this.

**And everyone is invited? - JsJ**

Maybe Rachel wasn't invited. This had to be part of some plan to exclude her but Jesse wasn't sure how yet.

**She says it's a trip for the whole glee club. Even Marley is coming. But something doesn't feel right. Am I being paranoid? - RB**

Jesse chuckled. Rachel was correct to doubt Quinn's sincerity. Rachel Berry was no fool. Just because the snake smiled at you didn't mean it wasn't thinking about biting you and then laughing as its poison slowly killed you. And if anyone was a smiling snake it was Quinn Fabrey!

**I don't think you're being paranoid. But just don't act like it. It's always best if your enemies assume you are unaware of what's going on. - JsJ**

_**Rachel**_

After texting with Jesse Rachel felt much better. It wasn't like she wanted to assume that Quinn was up to something. Bust past experience told her that odds were Quinn was not planning this trip out of the goodness of her heart. Especially not after spending the week either glued to Finn's side or with Santana promoting the 'new Rachel'. And what was with that look Quinn had given her during glee club? She had given up on Finn coming to her to come clean and get her in the clear. Kurt had told her that he didn't think he had done anything really bad.


	12. Chapter 12

((Thank you everyone for your reviews. I love reading what you guys have to say about my stories. R.I.P. Cory. I don't know what the future of glee will hold without you.))

_**Rachel**_

Over dinner Rachel had told her father's about the upcoming glee trip. She decided to keep an open mind and didn't tell them about her worries that Quinn was planning. Rachel wasn't exactly proud of the fact that her high school years were such a struggle. She felt like there was something she could have done differently and things wouldn't be so hard. So while she didn't lie to her father's she didn't give them all the nitty gritty details of her life.

They were pleased that it seemed like their baby girl was finally making friends. That was why Rachel couldn't tell them that she was a little nervous. Or warn them that she might end up stranded in a strange airport. If they knew the things she went through with the bullying and slushy facials why they would yank her out of school so fast her head would spin. Rachel was determined to keep her head held high. And going to another school would feel too much like running away to her.

School was out and her summer classes wouldn't start for a few weeks. So all there was to do was get ready for the glee trip. She had never been to the west coast and honestly hadn't planned to go. After all fame and fortune waited for her on Broadway not in Hollywood. Though she knew it was a popular dream for high school kids to leave Lima and go somewhere like L.A. or Hollywood to become famous. In fact she had heard that was Mercedes plan. As usual it lacked planning and Rachel envisioned the belting diva working some menial low paying job for some time before anything happened. If anything happened.

She had even allowed Kurt to talk her into going shopping with him for some California clothes. Rachel liked her clothes. She knew people at school thought she dressed like a grandma. But what was the point in wearing designer labels or anything fancy when it would end up at the dry cleaners? During the school breaks Rachel dressed with a little more flare. Kurt had insisted she let him pick out everything but she reserved the right to veto his choices. Kurt in turn got three chances to over ride Rachel's veto power. Rachel was not a tyrant but she wasn't going to let Kurt run wild. Though they had come a long way from the Grease make over that Kurt had purposely sabotaged. Now it was something they could laugh and bond over.

As the days counted down to Saturday Rachel couldn't help but become a little nervous. She hadn't heard anything from Quinn. She had checked with Finn and even Puck and they hadn't heard anything either. Even so she couldn't help but continue to feel like something wasn't right. But she just couldn't prove it. Some of the other glee kids were warming up to her. While at the mall she and Kurt had run into Matt and Sam. They had all gotten a pretzel in the food court. Rachel even ignores the outrageous calorie intake and ate a few bites of Kurt's pretzel rather than informing everyone of the lack o nutritional value like she normally would. Rachel knew she was a lot to take even if what she said was correct.

_**Quinn**_

"That's right Tina. On the east side of the air port at ten thirty am tomorrow morning." The blonde listened to the shy Asian girl give her confirmation. Once she hung up she dialed Rachel's number. Who would have thought when the little hobbit insisted everyone in glee have one another's number in their cell I would pay off?

"Hello Rachel. I'm sorry this call is coming so late but we're all meeting on the west side of the airport at ten thirty tomorrow morning. Great I'll see you tomorrow."

After hanging up Quinn smiled. Everything was going just like she wanted it. She felt like times were like before that night with Puck.

_**Rachel**_

The next morning Rachel was up bright and early as she always was. While it was a little irresponsible of Quinn to be so last minute in the details on where and what time to meet she was secretly relieved that she had been called at all. She had honestly been expecting Quinn to forget to call her. She had been packed since Thursday so she performed her normal morning routine. Rachel figured that she would be walking around a lot the next week so it would count as an exercise routine.

After showering she took her luggage downstairs and joined her father's for breakfast. Since their star was going to be gone for the week they had decided to take a little vacation too. Since she was going to be going awhile before eating again Rachel decided on oatmeal with fruit over her normal morning smoothie. Airport food was so over priced and she was sure she would be hard pressed to find decent vegan friendly food there. She let her dad put her bags in the car. They arrived at the airport and eight thirty. She insisted that they didn't need to wait with her. She was sure people would be arriving shortly.

_**Puck**_

Where the fuck was Berry? It was almost ten! The rest of the group had assembled already. He could tell the others wanted to go inside already. Quinn was especially pushing for it. "Look if Rachel wants to make a dramatic arrival she can do it by herself. We're going to miss our plane." She complained. "We'll leave her pass here and she can pick it up."

Something was fucking up. "Did you not call Rachel or something?" he demanded. "Did you even get her a ticket?" He ignored Mr. Shue saying his name in that warning tone. He watched as Quinn rolled her eyes and held out a ticket in front of his face. It was just like everyone else's but it had Rachel's name on it." Sighing because he didn't have anything else he walked over to the baggage check and left the ticket. He didn't trust Quinn not to give weird instructions. He could tell that Quinn knew he didn't have anything else.

_**Rachel**_

Where was everyone?! Rachel looked at her wrist watch. It was ten after ten! Surely if something was wrong someone would have called right? Reaching for her cell phone Rachel was surprised to see all the text and missed calls. At night Rachel turned her phone on silent. It was very important that nothing interrupt your rem sleep.

Most of the calls were from Noah so she just called him back. "Noah where is everyone?" she asked.

"What the heck do you mean?!" he demanded. "We're heading to the gate!"

"What?!" she squeaked. "No you can't! I've been at baggage check in since eight thirty!" What was going on? "I'm on the west side of the airport….What? The east?! I'll try but Noah the odds….okay okay I'm coming!"

She couldn't believe she was on the opposite side of the airport. Picking up her bags Rachel started to hurry.

_**Puck **_

Puck had needed to hang up to go through security. Quinn was too far ahead for him to shout at her but he knew that this was Quinn's plan. Rachel was going to miss the trip. After getting past security he went to their club director. "Mr. Shue we have to wait. Rachel was waiting on the other side of the airport."

Mr. Shue frowned a little. It wasn't like Rachel to get details wrong. "She probably misheard which side we were waiting at. She'll be able to pick up her ticket and get the next flight." He replied.

Puck couldn't believe what he was hearing. "We're going to leave Berry behind?! We can't." He was so distracted fighting with their glee club teacher that it took him a minute to realize they had gotten onto the plane. He started to try and get off but they wouldn't let him off the plane again. Pulling out his phone he sent Rachel a text as fast as he could because he knew that soon they would order him to turn it off.

_**Rachel**_

She stopped when her phone alerted her that she had a text.

_**We had to get on the plane. I left your ticket at the check in station. Shue says you can pick it up and they'll put you on the next flight-NP**_

Rachel stared at the text. She then looked at the clock. It was five minutes until ten thirty. She still was only half way there. She wasn't going to make the plane. Tears burned her eyes and she pulled up a number and pressed call.

"Jesse…..will you come pick me up please? I'm at the airport."

((Poor Rachel! Well now everyone knows Quinn's plan. But what is Rachel going to do next. How will Jesse take advantage of this turn of events and what will Noah do when the plane lands and he finds out Rachel is not going to be on the next one? I will try and update again soon.))


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